The Field

The purpose of the Entrepreneurship certificate program is to provide high school graduates, people displaced from their employment, or individuals entering the work force the business skills to combine with the technical skills necessary to establish and operate their own businesses or to work within an established enterprise. This program meets the needs of students in technological fields of study who intend to open their own businesses or who seek professional improvement.

Opportunities for much of the growth in the economy over the next few years will come from the establishment of small businesses. This certificate program provides the business background for students wishing to establish their own businesses. It also gives students some of the entrepreneurial skills that employers look for in big business.

The Instructional Program

The Entrepreneurship program consists of 30 credit hours of coursework which concentrate initially on the basic aspects of business. The first semester includes classes in accounting and related topics, marketing, microcomputer applications, and business law. The second semester requires coursework in more specific areas. Emphasis is placed on business communications, and there is some flexibility in scheduling to allow students to take business courses specific to their needs. The capstone course is Entrepreneurship. Upon completion of this course, students will have developed their own business plan. Instruction includes computational and communications skills, the introduction of the functions of management and their applications, the accounting and reporting aspects of accounting which apply to the operation of a small business, and the development of an entrepreneur who has the specific skills, leadership ability, problem-solving capability, and knowledge to start and operate a successful business enterprise.

Electives allow students the opportunity to explore and expand interests in other areas of business. Upon completion of the program, graduates can either seek employment or continue their studies in an associate's degree program.

Curriculum

SUNY Curriculum Code:  1192

First Semester

Second Semester

Certificate Requirement: 32 credit hours

Notes

*Choose any two electives with the following prefixes that are not required in the program: ACCT, BUSI, CITA, or ECON.

Admissions Requirements

Satisfactory completion of a high school curriculum and interest in a business career.

Program Objectives

A graduate of the Entrepreneurship/Business Management certificate program should be able to:

1. Prepare financial statements and maintain accounting records.
2. Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the different types of accounts (assets, liabilities, equities, revenues, and expenses) and be able to compare proprietorship, partnership, and corporation accounting procedures.
3. Express him/herself effectively through written and oral business communications.
4. Display a fundamental understanding of computers and computer information systems and be familiar with common computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and graphics.
5. Generalize and discriminate among current American business practices, including production, marketing, finance, and human resource management.
6. Demonstrate fundamental problem-solving skills related to finance and business.
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the planning process, marketing strategies, capital investment and financial controls, management tools, legal requirements of small business, and be able to develop a business plan.